An Alternate Ending
by carolkujawski
Summary: "So, I might kiss you goodbye but, uh, your boyfriend's watching." He said. "Well. He's not watching any longer." She answered. What could possibly happened if those two had kissed one more time, before he was sent away. This is a Trory.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. So, the first twenty or so lines are from episode 2.09 - Run Away, Little Boy. All that happens after that, is all mine. Enjoy.**

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"You broke into Bowman's dad's safe?" Rory asked him, incredulous. She couldn't believe that he'd be stupid enough to do that. Didn't she just tell him that he had a lot more going on for him than Bowman and Duncan?

"Yes." Tristan answered, not really in the mood to talk about it. She wouldn't get it anyway. He didn't even know why the hell he asked his father to come in, just to tell her he was being sent away.

"Stupid." She said, as crossed her arms at her chest. Her mind was working overtime, trying to think about a way to help him. _Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid._

"Yes." He repeated. What more could he say. He knew it was stupid. Hell, he knew that he had no business hanging around those morons. He knew better.

"Well, okay, you can apologize and you can put back the money and you can explain that, I don't know, you were going through something." She said, trying to fix it, but even she knew that it wasn't going to be enough.

"I was, I was going through his safe". He answered sarcastically, and narrowed his eyes at her, trying to figure it out... _Why the hell do you care?_ He thought.

"Why would you do this?" She pressed on.

"I don't know. I guess that's something I can ponder at military school." _Yep. That's it. Military School. I guess my father wasn't really kidding._ He thought.

"Military school?" She asked, her voice starting to crack. She was trying, unsuccessfully to contain the tears threatening to fall.

"The police are letting our parents handle it, and in my case that means military school in North Carolina." He explained. After all, why would his parents want him around anyway. It's not like he had any relationship with them.

"I don't know what to say." She said, quietly. Her heart was breaking for him. She spent so much time trying to hate him, or avoiding him, that she didn't even notice that she'd actually miss him. That she liked him. Why should she figure it out now, that he's leaving. It's not fair.

"Well, I imagine you're overwhelmed with the relief in knowing that soon I will be gone." He told her darkly. It wasn't her fault that he was unlovable. Why would she like him, anyway. His own parents apparently didn't. No one does.

"I'm so sorry." She said, truthfully. She wanted to hug him. To tell him everything was going to be alright.

"Well, I'm a big boy. I can handle it." He said, wanting to be brave. After all, he wasn't a little kid anymore. He's been looking after himself for years now. He was just stupid enough to get caught.

"There's nothing you can…" She started to say, but they were cut off by his father, calling him from down the hall.

"I gotta go." He said. He looked into her blue eyes, clouded with tears. She looked dejected. He couldn't really understand why. She never wanted him around before, why wouldn't she be glad to know he was leaving. She looked... hurt.

"So, I might kiss you goodbye but, uh, your boyfriend's watching." He said. _Damn it. Well, if I wanted her to be mad, it looks like I'm in the right path. Why the hell did I say that? _He thought.

He wasn't expecting what came next. She just pulled him by the arm, and tossed him into an open classroom, following him inside. She rendered him speechless with her next words.

"Well. He's not watching any longer." She said, nervously. Her hands were shaking. She never felt so unsure before. But this was it. It was her last chance. He was leaving, and she didn't want to have any regrets. She was not gonna run away crying this time.

"What are you saying, Mary?" Tristan asked, carefully. Surely she wasn't implying what he was thinking. Why would she want him to kiss her now? It didn't make sense. And he'd be damned if he made a fool of himself because of her. Again. As if the party, or the tickets for the concert weren't enough.

"You just said you wanted to kiss me goodbye..." She said, wringing her hands together. Her words were so jammed together that she was sure he had trouble to understand what she said.

"I said might." He smirked. He couldn't help himself. Was it really happening? Was she for real? He was going to kiss her, that was a given, but he'll have some fun first. He'd make her beg.

"Well, are you?" She whispered. She didn't know if the butterflies in her stomach were due to nerves or anticipation. She wanted him to kiss her. She felt her stomach drop just by thinking about it. If she was already feeling like that just by thinking about kissing, what would she feel when he really did it. And she didn't run away scared.

"I don't know." He smirked, but closed the space between them. "Am I? Do _you_ want me to kiss you?" He asked her, bluntly.

"I... I..." She couldn't found her voice, much less put the words together. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure she was going to pass out any minute. And it was not just her hands shaking right now, her whole body was trembling. She was flushed, and hot, and she really thought she might throw up.

"Close your eyes, Mary" He whispered in her ear, thinking to put them both out of their misery. Her knees almost buckled at the sound of his raspy voice, and she did what he asked. She closed her eyes, and waited. She knew that it was only a second, but it felt like hours had passed, until his lips brushed hers in a featherlight caress.

Tristan's heart almost skipped a beat at the sound she made, as his lips met hers. It was something between a moan and a whimper. He groaned into her mouth, used one hand to keep her from moving, but decided against pushing into her, or deepening the kiss.

He wanted to give her a light kiss, something to taunt her, to make her crave him, just as he craved her, right from the start. He wasn't supposed to deepen the kiss, but he was powerless to prevent it. She drove him insane. From the minute she walked into the halls of Chilton, he was hooked.

When he felt that he had totally ravished her, and that she couldn't think straight, he pulled away. He slipped something into her hand and he kissed her one more time, hard and quick, on the lips.

"Take care of yourself, Mary." He whispered.

And then, he walked away, leaving Rory in a daze. She raised her right hand, touching her lips softly, as if to be sure that it was real. She could still taste him on her lips. Reality was slow to intrude. She dropped her hand as she felt the wind being knocked out of her when she remembered where she was.

_Oh my God. Dean. The play. _She thought. She couldn't believe she just kissed someone. She was dating Dean, and she kissed Tristan. Really kissed him. And, the worst part of it, she was not sorry. She'd kiss him again, if he was not sent to Military School. Then, it dawned on her, what she had done. She had fallen in love. She had fallen in love with the biggest playboy ever. The King of Chilton. She fell in love, and he just left. She had to be a fool.

Then, she heard the door being thrown open, and a spitfire Paris walked in. Rory wasn't even listening to her ranting. She felt herself being pulled along, into the hallway. She saw the stricken look on Dean's face, as if he had figured out what had happened, and he just turned around and walked away.

_It must be today's theme_, she thought bitterly. It was then that she noticed the tears. Her own tears. She quickly whipped them away, and followed Paris into the stage. She could think about it later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. Enjoy.**

******A special thanks for TheMavster, for being my new Beta! :)**

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_That went well. _Rory thought sarcastically. She had came home, after the play, to find Dean sitting down at her porch. Of course he was mad at her. She had left him standing in the middle of that hall, doing God know what with Richie Rich inside that empty classroom, according to him. The worst part was he wasn't even wrong

"Do you even love me, Rory? Or is it just a joke to you?" He asked her. She had no answer for him. She thought she did, at the beginning. But ever since they were back together, something was missing. When she tried to pinpoint that feeling, to figure out what was missing in their relationship, all she could see was messy blond hair, devilish blue eyes and that smirk that was permanently attached to his face...

So they broke up, again. At least this time she saw it coming. She sighed, sitting on her bed. She couldn't even bring herself to feel sad about it, she was too busy being brokenhearted that Tristan had left. She remembered then that he had given her something, and at that time she was too dazed to pay attention to what it was. She looked for that piece of paper in the middle of her books, where she had shoved it when she got inside the car, and retrieved it. It was an address, Tristan's address, in North Carolina.

She quickly wrote it down on her phonebook, so she wouldn't lose it, and thought about what the hell was she supposed to do with that damn address. Did he expect her to write to him? What would she say? That she was willing to wait for him? And, more importantly, should she be willing to wait for him? She had no idea. She closed her eyes, and was assaulted with the memories of that kiss. She still couldn't believe that she had kissed him. Did she really love him?

"Hey, hun. Are you okay?" Lorelai asked her, entering her bedroom. She was looking at her, concerned. Her daughter was unusually quiet on the way back from Chilton, after the play. She knew something had happened, when Dean walked away from Chilton without a word. Rory looked close to tears now, after seeing him walking out on her, again, after Rory failed to tell him that she loved him, again. She was starting to think that maybe she never really did.

"I'm okay mom. I guess some things just don't work out. I think getting back together was a mistake..." She told her mom. Lorelai sighed, and sat beside her only daughter, trying to comfort her. She already knew that Rory and Dean getting back together was a mistake. That was not what she was worried about right now.

"So, want to tell mommy what happened with Bible Boy in that classroom?"

"Uh. We kissed." Rory told her mom, a little bit uncomfortable. She was afraid of what her mother would think. They had a really open relationship, were best friends, even, except when it came to boys. Then it would get way too awkward.

"Wow. So, what happens now? Are you together?" Lorelai asked, expecting the worst. She didn't want Rory mixed up with those kids, she didn't think they were good enough for her. She didn't want her daughter to go through the inevitable ache of getting her heart broken, and those boys were expert in doing just that.

"Not really. His parents are sending him to Military School, in North Carolina. He left today, before the play." She told her mom. She was getting tear-eyed just thinking about it. She wasn't supposed to feel like this. She wasn't supposed to fall for him.

"Oh. So it was a good-bye kiss?" She asked, trying to understand what was going inside her daughter's head. She looked dejected. Wasn't this the same guy that always got on her nerves, calling her Mary? The main reason that Paris and her crew would pick on her and make her life hell in that school?

"I don't know. He just... kissed me. He kissed me, and then gave me his address in North Carolina, and left." She said quietly. "I can't believe he left just like that. I really don't know what to do. Should I write to him?"

"You'll figure it out, hun." Lorelai said, kissing her daughter's forehead and leaving her alone for a while. She thought it would be best if she didn't interfere, especially when both of them knew what she really thought about those trust fund babies.

Next day at Chilton, the school was abuzz with gossip. Everybody was talking about the King of Chilton being banned from Hartford. Some people were talking about him going to prison, some people were talking about boarding schools, and very few people were talking about how he was sent to Military School. The only good thing about Tristan being gone was that Paris and Rory managed to develop some kind of friendship.

With Dean out of the picture and Tristan gone, Rory was feeling alone, at least in the heart department. Sure, she focused much more on school and on getting into Harvard, but everybody could see that a spark was missing. Some people in Stars Hollow believed that she was upset about Dean, but only a couple of them knew who she was really missing, and Jess Mariano was one of them.

After she and Dean broke up, Jess asked her out on a date, at the "Bid-A-Basket_" _festival. They went out a couple of times, but Jess could tell that her heart was already taken, and after that, when Luke finally got around to asking Lorelai out, it was too weird. It was almost like dating your cousin. So they decided to be friends.

It was because of Jess' insistence that she decided to write to Tristan. She wrote that first letter almost two months after he was gone, and Tristan wasted no time at all writing back. They never talked about their feelings, or about that kiss they shared right before he was sent away, but they talked about everything else. He was the first person to hear about her decision to attend Yale instead of Harvard, and she was pleased to hear that he, on the other hand, was going to University of Maryland, in Washington, much to his parents despair. But, as he said, it had the best Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the US, and she encouraged him to go and follow his dreams.

It started with those letters, and soon they were talking on the phone, at least once a week, sometimes even more. Aside from Jess, and Lane, Tristan was now one of Rory's closest friend. Sure, she was still totally in love with him, and he was still totally in love with her, but both of them were masters in the art of hiding their feelings for one another. Everyone else could figure that out, except the two of them.

They even met a couple of times, during those two years. He visited her, once, at Yale, but it was too weird. They almost kissed again, but they were interrupted by a naked guy passed out on the corridor near her dorm room. It was mostly when he was summoned to Hartford, for family obligations, that they saw each other. It seems that Military School had straighten him out, according to his father, and his presence was requested more and more. That was one of the motives that he wanted to go to University of Maryland, because he didn't want to be so close to home. He and his parents did better with the distance between them, he argued.

They had their first fight when she told him about the end of her first year at Yale, and the biggest mistake of her life: Dean. He almost flew over to punch him, when he heard about the affair, but it seems that Jess beat him to it. He almost sent Dean to the hospital, after Lindsay confronted Rory and the affair was made public. What Tristan still didn't know was what made Rory do a stupid, stupid thing like that.

The only one who knew the real reason was Jess, and Rory made him swear he'd never tell anyone. Tristan didn't speak to her for almost a month after hearing it. Little did he know that he was the reason that Rory did that stupid, stupid decision and slept with Dean. It all happened after she heard, through the grapevine, of course, that he was seeing someone in Washington.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. Most of the dialogues from this chapter dare from episode 5.08 - The Party is Over. With minor changes, in the end. The thought and reactions in between are all mine. Enjoy.**

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After the whole 'Dean debacle', her grandparents decided to take the reins of Rory's love life into their own hands. If their granddaughter didn't have enough sense to pick someone worthy of her value, thanks to Lorelai's lack of take-charge personality when it came to her daughter, then they would do their best to at least present better choices for her. And what better way to do that then to throw her a party, full of eligible candidates. They had the perfect excuse. A Yale Alumni Party.

That's how Tristan found Rory, sitting amongst the biggest playboys from Yale in a sub-party, at her grandparents' pool house. She hadn't noticed yet that he was at the party, as he failed to make his presence announced to her. He was, after all, still mad at her for the whole affair. He knew that he shouldn't be, that she was free to sleep with whoever she wanted. So what if he still had feelings for her. It wasn't like he was ever going to act on those feelings anyway, she made it very clear that she wasn't interested.

He sighed and decided that he needed to apologize, because he hated not talking to her. He stood there for a moment, just watching her. She looked like she was enjoying the attention she was getting from those guys. He shook his head at the scene, and decided that he needed to get his jealousy under control, otherwise he was not going to survive this evening. He leaned at the entrance door and just listened to the conversation going on.

"Gilmore, your grandfather has appalling taste in Scotch." Colin said, exasperated. At least there was enough alcohol going on to last the night. Emily Gilmore sure knows how to cater a party, even a meat market like that_._

"I think you should go on inside and tell him!" Rory answered not so sweetly, calling him on his crap. She liked Colin, and she had him all figured out, but sometimes he'd get on her nerves, with his holier than thou attitude, that she'd want to smack him, right on the head.

Tristan had to smile at the sound of that. How many times had she done that to him, putting him in his place... He almost missed it, missed her. Then he remembered he was still mad at her, and his scowl was back in place.

"If he hasn't learned by now I certainly can't teach him." Colin smirked. _Damn. Reporter Girl was fun, after all. She couldn't be much of a goody-goody if she was here, getting incredibly drunk with them. _He thought. When his parents called him requesting his presence at the Gilmore Alumni Party, he was sure that it was going to be a lost night, but he was actually having fun.

"Colin, make sure you refill that bottle with something, we don't want Ace over here to get busted." Logan said, always the leader of their little assembly. He thought back to the last time he had really seen her, jumping from that scaffold. She had looked good enough to eat on that pale blue gown. He really had an eye for dress sizes. But today? Today she looked like a porcelain doll. He was almost sure that the outfit was preapproved by her grandmother.

_Ace? Why the hell is he calling her Ace for? _Tristan thought, already hating the pet name. _Were they together? They couldn't be. Jess would have told me if they where. Why the hell is Rory all over this idiot..._

"I know. I know." Colin answered, putting away the bottle of Scotch and tossing the bottle of champagne to Logan.

"Refill?" Logan asked Rory, motioning to her empty glass.

"Sure, why not?" She answered, and raised her glass, so that Logan could fill it. She was already getting tipsy, but she didn't really care. She wasn't driving home anyway.

"Because drinking is bad. It's very, very bad and we're bad for doing it. Spank me." Finn told her, in the weirdest form of flirting she ever heard. It could maybe work on her mother, but that would be more because of his outrageous australian accent and dashing good looks than anything he'd say.

"I think the hangover tomorrow will be punishment enough." Rory told him, smirking. She was really having fun with the guys. The party was already getting better, much better than when she first arrived. She should have known her grandmother would do something like that, after hearing about 'the incident'. That's what they were calling her affair with Dean right now.

"She hasn't had enough champagne, Logan." Finn retorted, before leaving dramatically. He supposed that Logan was the one going to get lucky today, from the looks they were giving each other. But that's all right. He usually prefers redheads anyway.

Tristan didn't know if he was relieved or worried now that Finn was gone, because Rory was alone with Logan now. He shuddered just thinking about the two of them together.

"Hey, listen, I forgot to tell you, I read the article." Logan told her. He had been wanting to talk about her article on the LBD for some time now. This was the perfect time.

"You did?" She asked, surprised. She wasn't expecting that. When he didn't make any commentary about it, when they bumped at each other in the paper, she assumed he hadn't bothered. Well, he had barely spoken to her after the event...

"Yep, not bad." He told her, his signature smirk in place, putting his arm around her.

Tristan thought that Logan was practically licking his lips, looking at her. He was getting nauseated just listening to Huntzberger laying down the charm.

"Thank you." She said, proud of herself. Tristan caught something in the way that she said it. _Is she that drunk? She's totally flirting with him. Doesn't she know about his reputation? Or is she just plain stupid?_

"Caught the spirit of the thing, I'll give you that." Logan continued, getting a little bit closer to her. He was mesmerized by her. Every time that he talked to her, he discovered a little facet of her that he hadn't seen yet. Sure, she was far from his usual type, but maybe that was the reason he was unbelievably attracted to her. _Like a moth to the flame. _He thought.

"But?" She asked, wanting to soak up all the feedback she could. After all, it was not every day that a Huntzberger took time to review one of her articles. She knew that Logan was smart, and a damn good writer, even if he didn't want to have anything to do with the family business.

"No, no buts. You've got a good style. There were a few too many similes in it for my taste, but it definitely had a Joseph Mitchell thing going for it, I like that." He answered, truthfully. He was pleasantly surprised to know that she could get any journalistic reference he threw her way. She was not just a pretty head wanting to get a piece of his family legacy, she was a damn good writer, and as soon as he managed to get her a little bit more out of her shell, she'd be a damn good reporter too.

"I'm surprised you even bothered to read it." She told him, flirting lightly, the champagne making her a little bit bolder. Maybe this time he would kiss her. She was sure he was going to kiss her at that LBD event, where they had jumped holding hands. She could still hear his response to her 'once in a life time experience' statement. _Only if you want it to be..._

"Are you? Hmm." He said, standing up. He needed to put some distance between them, otherwise he'd end up kissing her right now, way sooner than he was planning. "So, who's it going to be?"

"What?" Rory asked, surprised by the question. _What was he talking about? _She thought.

"Well, this shindig's an obvious meat market, I've got the feeling that your grandparents are expecting you to choose someone tonight, so..." He smirked, knowing he was making her uncomfortable. It was a turn on, the way she blushed over it.

"Oh, well..." She said, and looked around.

After hearing that, Tristan decided that he has had enough. He'll be damned if he'd let her go home with Huntzberger, or any of those morons. She was all over him, already. He clenched and unclenched his hand a couple of times, waiting for the right moment to announce himself.

"Me. Pick me." They heard Finn yell dramatically, amongst other men. "I'm exotic!" He continued.

"So's the Asian Bird flu." Colin baited him, trying to get the upper hand. Sure, they all knew that Logan had 'claimed' her first, but he was not above trying.

"Wow. A room full of guys and still extremely slim pickings." They heard someone say from the entrance. "It's been a long time, Mary."

"Tristan?" Rory said, all color gone from her face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. Enjoy.**

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They stood like that for a moment, just drinking each other in, that they didn't even notice the whole room stopping to see what they were going to do next.

_Wow. I forgot how breathtakingly beautiful she was, specially when she dressed up like that, _Tristan thought. He forgot all about being mad just by looking into her eyes. He also forgot that he was trying for some time now to bury those feelings of love he felt towards her. She could make him forget almost anything.

Rory was going through something similar. All the champagne she drank was making her lightheaded. She was almost thinking that he looked... kissable, or that it would be a good idea to just walk over and kiss him. Those eyes, those eyes could make for forget about anything. Like being mad at him, or that he was currently living in Washington, and seeing someone.

She gave up the battle, ran to him and jumped into his arms, leaving a room full of people looking astonished at them. Tristan was surprised by her actions, but recovered quickly and hugged her back tightly. He closed his eyes, and let those old feeling wash over him. He never really managed to get over her, to forget that damn kiss in the halls of Chilton, right before he was shipped off to North Carolina. So, when she decided to kiss him, he just kissed her back, just as hungrily.

"Well, looks like she made her choice, mate." Finn said, giving Logan a pat on his back. Logan was just standing there, his jaw dropped open, looking at Rory kissing some guy. _Damn it._ He thought._ He should have kissed her on that damn Life and Death Brigade thing, after we jumped. _

As Finn's words penetrated her brain, Rory instantly pulled away. What the hell was she doing, kissing Tristan. She wasn't supposed to kiss him. And, more important, what the hell was Tristan doing, kissing her back, especially if he was seeing someone. She was not going to be one of his many girls. No, she wouldn't do it, couldn't do it. So, she did what she always did. She ran.

Well, to say the truth, she tried to run this time. But Tristan was ready for that. As if he didn't know Rory Gilmore's modus operandi. When didn't she run? He caught her by the arm, as she was trying to run past him, leaving the pool house.

"Hey, hey. Where do you think you're going, Mary?" He said. He was dead serious.

"I... Tristan, please, let me go." She asked him. She was not above pleading.

"Hey. I am not about to hurt you, Mary. I just think we need to talk. That's all." He said, still holding her arm, but making small circles with his thumb on her wrist.

"What's to talk about? We shouldn't be doing that. I don't want to be one of many." She whispered that last part, not looking him in the eyes.

Tristan sighed. _So, she knows about Lynn,_ he thought. _How the hell would she know about Lynn._ He had gone out on two dates. Two. And somehow Rory knew about it. Hell.

"Okay. So we won't talk about that right now. You still don't have to leave. I haven't seen you in forever, Mary. I miss you." He tried.

"No, not right now. I don't want to ever talk about that. Ever." She demanded. This time, she was looking right into his beautiful blue eyes. Those eyes that use to haunt her dreams for so long.

Tristan could read clearly her emotions through her eyes. She looked hurt again, as hurt as that day at Chilton, so long ago. And, again, he felt that deep hatred towards his father. It was all his fault, all of it. If he hadn't sent him away, to Military School, maybe, just maybe, something could work out between Rory and him. He looked away, because he didn't want her to see that in his eyes. He withdrew his hand from her arm, and said, softly.

"Okay. Then we won't."_ I'd do anything for you, Mary. Anything._ He thought, but decided not to say anything more.

"Okay then." She said, and risked a sidewards glance at his face. When he felt her looking at him, he smiled lightly.

"I missed you, Mary." He said, and when he was sure she was not going to try to run again, he hugged her,

"Well, you're the one who stopped calling, or taking my calls." She said, in a small voice.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was angry with you." He told her, seriously. "I promise it's over now."

"I missed you too." She smiled. "Hey, what are you doing here?" As if just now realizing where they were.

"Well. My grandfather called me, and told me about this party. Apparently, your grandparents decided to throw you a male Yale Alumni party. And as Janlen is an Alumni..."

"I don't care, I'm just glad you're here. Hey, now I can introduce you to my new friends!" She said, excited, and turned around to do just that. That's when she noticed that most of them were already looking at them.

"Well, guys, this is one of my best friend, Tristan DuGrey. Tristan, meet Logan Huntzberger, Colin McCrae and Finn... You know what, I don't think I know your last name, Finn!" She said.

"I'm a man of mystery, Love." Finn smirked. "Now, why would I waste a perfect opportunity for you to get to know me better, telling you my last name right here, right now?"

"Relax Mary. I remember most of this guys, from preschool..." He said.

"What? Don't tell me you all used to share nannies?" She asked, joking.

"Pretty much, Ace. Pretty much." Logan answered, walking towards the two of them to shake Tristan's hand. "So, DuGrey. How was Military School? We haven't heard from you in a while! Care to feel us in?"

"Not much to tell, Huntz. Not much. How's Yale? Got tired of sailing around the world?"

"Not so much tired. More like without any ships to sail, after Finn here managed to sink our Yacht."

"How exactally do you sink a Yacht?" Rory asked, exasperated.

"Well. It all started with a bottle of rum..." Finn started to tell them the story.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. Enjoy.**

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When Logan saw that Tristan was busy talking with the guys, enjoying the party, and Rory was once again sitting in the couch, alone, he decided to approach her. He didn't notice that Tristan was discretely paying attention to his every move.

"So, Ace, what's the deal with you and DuGrey. You're together?" He asked.

"Oh. No. We're just friends." Rory said, not wanting to think about what more they could be, if only they stopped running away from their feelings, long enough to talk about that kiss.

"So, you wouldn't mind if I asked you out?"

"Why would you ask me out, Logan?"

"Well, for starters, so we could do something about this tension between us." He smirked.

"Logan..." Rory said, blushing as expected. She was so not used to his direct approach.

"Because I'd really like to be able to kiss you, you know?"

"It would never work, Logan. I'm a commitment kind of girl. I don't do casual. I don't want to be one of many..."

"You looked pretty casual, you know, kissing DuGrey, a while ago. You just said you weren't together." Logan argued.

"It's complicated..." Rory answered, avoiding his eyes. She didn't want to talk about Tristan, or about that damn kiss.

"Oh. Ooh. I see. I got it." Logan said, having figured it out. He knew now that he had little to none chances of getting Rory. He knew from the beginning that she was not his usual kind of girl, and he was sure that she'd balk at the thought of being one of many. But that didn't mean he wouldn't try his luck... At least now he knew that he didn't stand a chance.

"What?" she asked

"You have a thing for him, and you don't want to be one of _his _many, too. I get it." He said, still thinking that Tristan was not really different from most of the guys on this party.

"I don't have a thing for him." Rory said, but Logan suspected that she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him.

"Sure you don't..." Logan said sarcastically, and changed the subject. He didn't want to spend the night trying to convince her of her feelings for DuGrey.

Having heard most of the conversation, Tristan just smiled. There's nothing like seeing a guy like Huntzberger getting turned down, even after laying all his charm. He didn't really believe that Rory had a thing for him, though. Surely part of the reason she kissed him today was all the champagne she had drunk. But it felt good to hear that Logan thought she had a thing for him. He was wrong, but it was damn good. He'd leave her alone now and that was even better.

But he knew that he had no chance with her, especially when he was still living in Washington and she was in New Haven. It would never work. She'd never believe that he wanted her, just her. And, on top of it all, she thought he was dating Lynn. No, it would never work. He looked at his clock, saw that it was getting close to one in the morning, and decided that it was time to end this shindig.

"Come on, Mary. I'll drive you home." He said, pulling her up. "It's late."

"You sure you want to drive her all the way to Stars Hollow?" Logan asked, trying to be nice. "We have a car with a driver here. We could take her."

"No, that's okay. I'll take her." Tristan insisted. He's never get any rest, worrying about her.

That way he could make sure she would spend the night at her bed. Alone.

He helped her get inside her car, fastened her seat belt, and drove her home. She was asleep within minutes. Tristan spent most of the drive looking at her. She was a knock out, but Emily really outdid herself this time, with this dress. He was having trouble concentrating, looking at her legs...

He arrived at her house in record time. He was going to wake her up, but decided against it, and just picked her up, bridal style, and carried her inside. He saw that Lorelai left a note saying she was spending the night at Luck's apartment and she had the house to herself. He entered her bedroom, and as gently as possible put her on her bed. She didn't even stirred.

He took of her high heels, and was thinking about how to ride her of her pantyhose without waking her up, or getting totally turned on. Sure, like if he wasn't already there just by thinking about it. He gritted his teeth, and decided to just do it. He slowly reached for her hips, slightly raising her dress in the process, counting to ten more than once. This was torture, pure torture. He finally managed to take off her damn pantyhose, and took advantage of the opportunity, since her dress was already raised, and pulled it out, leaving her on her bra and panties.

He had to close his eyes then, and think about flag and country. He should get a medal for his outstanding self-control. He quickly found a tee-shirt for her to wear, put it on her, and was covering her with the blankets, when he heard her mumbling.

"Please, stay." He heard, and froze instantly. Was she serious?

"Rory... You don't know what you are asking". He tried. If he was having trouble controlling himself just now, imagine laying beside her, in that teeny tine bed of hers, knowing what kind of lingerie she was wearing, how good she looked on them. Damn it.

"I don't want to be alone..." She pleaded. "Please." He was almost coming undone. "Just for tonight."

_How can I deny her? _He thought. She was surely be the death of him someday. The things he ended up doing for her. He slowly undressed, his jeans and button-down shirt following her dress on the floor, and stood in his boxers and tee-shirt, looking at her, praying for just a little bit more of self-control. It was going to be a long, long night.

As soon as Tristan laid by her side, she cuddled up to him and sighed, content. It was the most arousing sound he ever heard. She wiggled a little bit, trying to get comfortable, and Tristan had to grit his teeth one more time. He almost lost it when he felt her lips on the back of his neck. It was so soft that he had to think twice to be sure she was actually kissing him. And the night was just beginning. He was doomed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

She was not playing fair. He knew it, she knew it, everybody who could see it would agree that she was not playing fair. Didn't she know what she did to him? Was she that innocent, that clueless? Just being this close to her was enough to drive him insane, to want the intangible, the impossible. He thought briefly about the way Logan was looking at her at that party, like a hungry wolf ready to devour the unsuspecting sheep. He remembered he used to look at her just like that, when she first came to Chilton.

God, he'd loved her for a too long time. He hated himself for leaving her, for not coming back when he could, after being accepted to Yale. He hated her for all the things she put him through, when she decided that it was too damn difficult to be anything more than friends. He hated his family for pulling him back just as he was finally freeing himself of her, of those feelings. He hated her and loved heart the same time, with the same intensity. He wanted to do right by her, and that certainly didn't include sleeping with her when she was barely conscious. How much had she had to drink at this damn party anyway?

He tried to control his body's reaction to her wiggling, as impossible as it sounded. He struggled to put some distance between their bodies, so he'd be able to breath, and last until morning. He attempted to comfort her, to protect her, but what he really needed was a miracle, to protect himself from all the feeling she was bringing to surface once again. He tried to reason with his own mind, thinking that it was not what she wanted, what she needed. Hell, she didn't even want to talk about the kisses they shared, much less their relationship. why would he think she'd be okay with sleeping with him? Because he knew that she definitely would not be okay with this. But mostly, he was terrified that she'd hate him in the morning.

When he felt the tip of her tong tickling his neck, teasing him, taunting him, he gave up. He turned around and kissed her, his mouth slanting over hers, over and over again. Every time she'd sighed against his mouth, he'd deepen even more the kiss. When he felt her tighten her hold on him, pressing her body into his, he decided that he needed her to be sure that this was what she wanted because there would be no going back from this.

"Open your eyes, Rory." He demanded softly, using her real name to convey the seriousness of his words. He needed to be sure. "I want you to look at me, hell, I _need_ you to look at me, and tell me that you want this. That you want me, really want me. Come on, babe, open those beautiful blue eyes for me."

It took her a moment, but Rory slowly opened her eyes, and looked into his ones. He could see that her eyes were clouded with alcohol and desire. They were almost mid-night blue, not their usually soft sky-blue color. But he couldn't see in them any hint of fear, of nervousness. He knew that she had little to none experience in this area, having slept with only one person, as far as he knew and, due to the circumstances surrounding that incident - and the fact that the affair had ended as soon as it began, she couldn't have done it more than a couple of times. Damn. He shouldn't be doing this. He knew better.

As if Rory sensed his change of heart, she looked into his beautiful blue eyes, touched his cheek with her hand, and just nodded, as if saying 'yes, I'm sure. Take me to heaven.' She waited a couple of seconds, attempting to let him read her, and understand that she wanted it too. Of course she was not thinking clearly, but, at this point, she really felt that thinking was overrated. She was tired of thinking. Sick and tired, to say the truth. She wanted to feel. And then, she lowered her lips to his.

Tristan wanted to go slow, to savor every second that she was his, because he was afraid she was going to bolt in the morning. He slowly turned her so she was laying on her back, and covered her body with his. He rested his weight on his arms, trying not to crush her, and started to worship her body. He felt her tense, when he roamed his hands intimately over her, and had to stop a couple of times to ask her if she was sure, if what he was doing was all right. It would kill him if she'd answer that yes, she wanted him to stop. But he'd do it anyway. He'd do anything for her.

But her answer was always the same. He would ask, and she would cover his hand with hers, guiding him, telling him without words that it was all right to continue. And she would moan, and wriggle, and squirm, as if her whole body was consumed with fire. She was melting into him, unable to control herself, or her reaction to his touch. Her body knew what it was doing, even if she didn't, and so it just took over. When he finally entered her, the only thought in her head was that this was completely, utterly different from what she did before. It was almost as if this was her first time, even if she wasn't really a virgin anymore.

Time stood still, as the two of them adjusted not only to the physical feelings, but to their feelings for each other that were working to break free. They were transported to that empty classroom, back at Chilton, that was witness to their first kiss. The memories of they way she shivered with anticipation and desire, while he kissed her, barely touching her, and the way his heart swelled in his chest at the recognition of her feelings for him.

Before she could understand the riot of emotions that showered her body, past and present ones, she started to shiver and tremble, and without any notice, she took the fall. She felt like she was shattering, exploding in thousands of pieces, hundreds of thousands little pieces. She clung to Tristan, knowing that she was safe in his arms, and let go.

Tristan was sure that her screams were going to be forever printed in his brain, the way she chanted his name, over and over again. He wanted to hold on, to show her what could be felt, if she just let him. He wanted to make her explode in pleasure again, but he couldn't control himself when he heard her moaning, chanting his name like that. He squeezed his eyes shut, prayed for a bit, a teeny tine bit of self-control, but he was far too gone to be able to last a second more. He gave up the battle and lost himself into her.

When he could feel his heart returning to normal, and breathing was possible again, he looked at her. He was thoroughly pleased with himself. She looked... properly ravished. Strikingly beautiful, with her hair all messed up, rosy cheeks, and swollen lips. And dead to the world. She was sleeping peacefully in his arms, pinned to the bed. He rolled off of her, and held her, as tightly as possible without waking her. He knew he'd had to deal with her in the morning, and he was damned if he'd let her slip through his finger again. No, this time, he'd have her. All of her.

She was gone when he woke up in the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

When Rory woke up, feeling all safe and warm in his arms, she freaked out. She freaked out and she ran. She went to the only person who could help her sort through those insane feelings that were consuming her now. That and the fact that she needed coffee. Lots of coffee, to be able to survive this morning. She at least had enough sense to get dressed before leaving the house.

She arrived at the dinner in a hurry, opened the door, and went directly to where Jess was standing, reading a book. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Jess took notice of the frantic look in her face, tossed the book aside, picked up two cups of coffee, to go, grabbed her by her arm and said: "Luke, I'm going out." She didn't even notice the looks she was getting from Lorelai, who was sitting at their usual table.

He pulled her along, not saying anything, until they were both sitting on their bridge. He gave her one of the cups, and waited for her to drain it, as usual. After she finished her first coffee, he gave her the second one, knowing that this one she would drink a little bit slower, and waited for her to tell him what the hell was going on.

"I slept with Tristan." She said, looking into her cup of coffee. "Last night."

"You did what?" Jess asked her, wondering if he heard her right.

"I slept with Tristan." She repeated, this time looking at his eyes.

"I didn't even know that Tristan was in town. Isn't he in Washington?"

"I tell you I slept with him and you ask me if he's in town? That's the important part to you? Of course he's in town."

"Didn't you have that party yesterday night? At your grandparents?" Jess continued, aggravating her on purpose, just for the fun of it.

"Yes. Where do you think I found him?"

"I could guess, but you wouldn't like the answer..." Jess said sarcastically.

"Jess... I'm serious. I... I didn't even know that he was in town, and I had a lot to drink at that party, and then he was there, and I kissed him and oh my god, I can't believe I'm the other woman again..." she ranted.

"Wow. Wait a minute. The other woman?" Jess asked incredulously.

"He's seeing someone in Washington." She mumbled.

"Rory. I told you that if he was seeing someone, he'd tell you. Hearing your grandmother say that he finally agreed and was taking some girl to a function does not make it true. Did you ask him about it?"

"I didn't need to ask. I told him that I didn't want to be one of many, and he said nothing. He didn't deny it, or, or call me crazy or something..." She said pitifully.

"Hey, you know Tristan. If he was really seeing someone, he wouldn't have kissed you. Remember how mad he was when he found out about Dean? He's not like that." Jess tried to argue. When Rory said nothing, he continued. "You know you'll have to talk about it, don't you?"

"I don't want to talk about it. I want to pretend that this night never happened." She said,

When Jess just gave her a dark, pointed look, letting her know that he didn't buy any of those things she said, she sighed and gave up.

"I love him. I really love him. I don't know what to do. I spent so much time trying to get over him, and now, now I don't know how to deal with that.

"Well, I think you should tell him." Jess told her.

"I can't tell him that. Even if he loved me back, which he doesn't, it would never work. He'd be in Washington, and I'd be here..."

"Well... first of all, are you out of your mind? Of course he loves you. He loved you since that first time you two kissed. He's as over you as you are over him..."

"What's second of all..." she asked him, trying to avoid thinking about Tristan. When Jess looked at her like she was crazy, she pointed. "You said 'first of all'. That usually implies that there's a second of all after that...

"Right. Well, second of all, how do you know it wouldn't work?"

"I just know..."

"Talk to the guy, Rory." Jess told her, one more time, and got up, leaving her to her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Tristan was sitting in Rory's bed, trying to figure out what to do now. He should have seen it coming, he should have known she would run in the morning. It was his own fault. Why, why did he have to do that? What on earth was he thinking, when he knew for sure that she was going to just that. Now, all he needed to do was figure out where would she run to.

He got up, straightened the room, after all, he didn't think that Rory would appreciate the mess, especially at her mother's house. He was almost out the door when he saw Lorelai walking in his direction. This was not good.

"Hey, Bible Boy. Didn't know you were back in town." Lorelai said. "Can you tell me why Jess was dragging my daughter out of the dinner this morning?"

Damn. Of course she was going to run to Jess, they were best friends after all. Well, at least now he knew that she was in good hands. Jess would take care of her. And, most important, if she was with Jess, he knew where he could find her.

"Well, Lorelai, I might have one or two theories about it, but I'd like to talk to her before telling you, if that's all right." Tristan tried to thwart her, before she figured it out. "I'll be right back."

"Waait a second." She said. "Were you at the Gilmore's yesterday?" He nodded once. "Did you drive my daughter home?" He nodded again, and saw her looking around Rory's bedroom. "Where did you sleep, Bible boy?" She asked narrowing her eyes.

"Ah, I can see where you're getting at. I'll reserve my right to remain silent, and let your own daughter answer that." He said, and decided to leave before Lorelai could ask another question. Because he had a feeling he knew what that would be.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

Tristan didn't need to go very far. He found her sitting at the bridge alone, just like he knew she would be. He figured that Jess must have left her alone to think things over, which was good, because Jess wouldn't have left if Rory was hysterical, or freaking out.

When she failed to acknowledge his presence, not moving at all as he approached her, he sighed and sat down next to her. He could feel her tense up when did that, but she still didn't raise her eyes to meet his.

He didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to take her small hand in his, in a small attempt to comfort her, but he wasn't sure if the action would be welcome. He had rehearsed in his head what he was going to say to her: he would not let her walk away this time. Not from him, and not from their feelings. They were going to settle it today, before he left for Washington again. It was all or nothing, and he really hoped that that she would choose him this time.

But before he could open his mouth to say something, Rory just blurted out what he was waiting forever to hear, managing to leave him completely speechless in the process.

"I'm in love with you." She said, still not looking him in the eye. She kept her gaze on the water, waiting for Tristan's answer.

"I'm in love with you." She repeated, when he said nothing, and decided to say it all before she lost her nerves.

"I think I've been in love with you since... I don't know since when... Maybe forever. And now, now that I finally have the guts to tell you that, you're seeing someone in Washington. And I don't want to be the other woman again."

"I'm not seeing anybody." Tristan started, but before he could explain, Rory's head snapped up, and she glared at him for a second before she said anything.

"Don't lie to me, Tristan. I know you are seeing Carolyn Grant. Grandma spent a whole friday night dinner gushing about it..." She told him angrily, and started to get up. She needed to do something, she couldn't be this close to him, not after telling him that she loved him.

But Tristan was having none of that. He held her hand, stopping her from getting up, and used his other hand to gently turn her face so he could look her in the eyes. Than she would be able to see the truth for herself.

"Hey, I'm not lying. You know I don't do that. I've never lied to you before, and I'm not doing it now. I am not seeing Lynn." He told her pointedly, and saw the look in her eyes at the use of Carolyn's short, cute nickname. Jealousy. He smiled to himself at this realization, and waited a second to continued.

"I dated her. Twice if I'm not mistaken, and both times at the insistence of both our parents. But that was it. I am not _dating_ her." He took a deep breath, and squeezed her hand, trying to convey through his touch was he was feeling. "And if you would just admit that you want to be with me, then I'd promise you to never see her again. Well, not on official capacity anyway..."

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." Rory said, embarrassed.

She was so sure that he was dating her, really dating her. She tried to think back, to recall the conversation with her grandmother, to see if she had taken something out of context, but she could still remember the certainty in Emily's voice, when she told her about Tristan and Lynn. Rory knew that she should have asked him about it, but she didn't want to hear it from his lips, if it was true. Because it would break her heart.

"Hey. It's okay. Now you know. And for the record, I love you too. I've loved you for a long time, too. Since you started attending Chilton. And you should know that I'd never make you the other woman." He said that last part angrily. "I'm not like Dean."

Rory grimaced after hearing his name. This was still a sore spot between them. She knew he was angry with her for sleeping with Dean. And she was just feeling like an idiot now. Would he hate her if she told him the whole truth? That she got really drunk after that dinner with her grandparents, after hearing about him and Lynn, and when she ran into Dean at her mother's Inn, she just wanted to do something stupid, so she would stop thinking about him... Yep, she was an idiot. An idiot who slept with a married man because she was hopelessly in love with her best friend and too afraid to tell him that.

She didn't want to lie to him, but she didn't want to tell him all that either. So, she just remained silent. But Tristan had mistaken her silence for an inability to be true to her feelings, as if he was sensing her pulling away. He couldn't understand why the hell Rory couldn't just make her damn mind up.

"I don't know what to do, here, Rory." Tristan said pleading with her. "I don't want to lose you. I love you, and I want to be with you, but you have to tell me what you want, babe."

"What if I don't know what I want?" She said in a small voice, afraid of how hard it would be to have a long distance relationship with Tristan. She wanted him, but maybe now was not the time. It would never work.

She wanted to tell him something, to beg him to help her believe they could make it. She wanted to just jump into his arms, and lose herself in him. She wanted him to kiss her again, like he did last night. But she didn't do any of those things, she just stayed there, not able to convey her thoughts to him. She was too afraid.

"Well, then we have nothing more to talk about." He said, after a few minutes, getting up. He didn't want to get angry again, or yell at her, because he knew it would accomplish nothing. He couldn't believe he was going to have to walk away from her again. And this time, it would be ten times harder, after the night that they had together. But, as he told himself before, they would settle it today.

He couldn't make her stay with him if she didn't want it. And if she did want, then she had to be able to make up her mind, and say it. He couldn't do that part for her. He knew that he would hate himself later, for hurting her, but they could not go on like this.

"You know how I feel, and what I want. When you decide how _you_ feel and what _you_ want, you know where to find me." He turned around to leave, stopped for just a second, closed his eyes, and repeated the same words he said to her two years ago. "Take care of yourself, Mary."

And then he was gone. Again.

When Rory regained her senses, and went after him, it was too late. His car was not at her mother's anymore, and she knew that it was not Hartford that he was headed to. No, she was sure he'd be driving all the way to Washington right now.

She went straight to her bedroom. Should she call him? But what would she say if she did? She still didn't think that they would be able to make it. Maybe it was for the better. Maybe they were not meant to be together. She sat down on her bed, and let the same feeling of emptiness from two years ago wash over her.

She was so out of it that she didn't even noticed that she was silently crying until Jess entered her room. It was at that moment that she really broke down. Jess just sat beside her, hugged her and let her cry all her tears. He could talk some sense into her later.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

Two days later she was looking at his door at around ten o'clock in the night. She spent the whole drive thinking that maybe he'd changed his mind, and that coming over was a mistake, but she had to try anyway. Not being with him when she was not sure about his feelings was one thing, because she could easily lie to herself. But not being with him when he told her he loved her, wanted her, was just plain stupid. It was not something she could ignore any longer. So, she gathered all the courage she could muster, and knocked on his door.

"Rory?" Tristan asked, surprised to see her at his door. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"I want to be with you." She blurted out, before she could lose her nerve. "I... I love you, and I want to be with you."

Tristan couldn't believe what he was hearing, and that was the only reason to why he failed to react immediately. But as soon as his body caught up with his mind, he took her in his arms and kissed her. When it dawned on him that they were making out in front of an audience, he pulled her inside and kicked the door shut and started kissing her again.

Rory was in heaven. Tristan's kisses were wreaking havoc with her mind, making it impossible to think about anything at all but kissing him. But when she picked up on where this kind of kissing would lead on, she decided it was time to stop. It was not a very good idea to go to bed with him again, before they figured out where they stood. They needed to talk.

"Tristan," she tried, but it came out more like a moan than a request to stop, and her body decided to betray her, making her tilt her head to the side and give him room to start nibbling on her neck.

"Oh God, Tristan, I..." She tried again, but the words died in her mouth before she could finish the sentence and say that she needed him to stop. Instead, she raked her fingers through his back, scratching him, as she was washed with those feelings that she spent so much time trying to suppress.

"This was not what I came here for..." She said, taking a step back before things got really out of hand. "I mean, I wanted to talk to you, you know, before... doing that again."

"You can say 'sleeping with you' you know, or even 'going to bed' if you prefer." He teased her. "The night's young, Mary, there's plenty of time for talking." He told her, trying to kiss her again.

"I'm serious, Tristan. We have to talk about it. We can't just... you know... do that again... without talking. I mean, we can't keep fooling around like that..." She said, still not comfortable enough talking about it.

"Is that what we're doing here? Fooling around?" He asked her, starting to get angry. "I told you I loved you, and that I wanted to be with you. I'm not fooling around, I'm not screwing you, and for God's sake, stop saying 'doing that' like there is something fundamentally wrong about it.

"It's not that. I know we're not just fooling around, or... or doing something wrong. Why can't you just understand that this is difficult to me?" She said in a small voice. "This is all new to me." She told him, trying to make her point.

"I'm sorry if being with me is difficult for you." He said, bitterly, misunderstanding what she was trying to say.

"Talking about it is difficult for me, Tristan. Being with you is the easiest part. I feel like, I don't know, my body just takes over and, it fits. I fit, with you." She told him, in an attempt to ease his worries. "I love you. I want to be with you, you know, not just date you, I mean. Really be with you."

"Was that so difficult?" He asked sarcastically.

"I've never talked about it with anyone. Not even mom, although I promised her I'd talk to her before, you know, having sex. I guess getting drunk and having an affair with a married ex-boyfriend was not how any of us envisioned my first time being..." She muttered the last part, knowing that it was not something she wanted to tell him about.

"You what?" He asked her, not really managing to keep the bitterness from his voice.

"I... " She started, but hadn't enough courage to look him in the eyes and say it again.

"You were drunk? What the hell were you thinking?" He all but yelled at her. He should have made her tell him the whole story back then, but he was so angry and so jealous at the thought of another man touching her that he just hang up the phone and didn't talk to her for weeks. He wanted to kill Dean right now.

"I wasn't thinking. I didn't want to think. If I were thinking, I wouldn't have done that. I just wanted to forget..." She started saying, but stopped before she could tell him the whole truth. He was already angry enough with her without knowing it all.

"Forget what?" He asked her, when she didn't continue.

"Never mind..." She muttered, avoiding the question.

"Forget what Rory? What were you trying so hard to forget that had you getting drunk, and putting yourself in that position?" He asked her, wanting to get to the bottom of it. They should have had this conversation a long time ago.

"You." There. She told him. "I was trying to forget the fact that you were out on a date with someone that wasn't me." She explained. "I spent most of that dinner hearing grandma gushing about the two of you, and it bothered me, but I didn't even noticed that I was drinking that much more than usual. I was looking for mom at the Dragonfly after dinner when I ran into Dean, and he asked me if I wanted to talk about what was bothering me. When I realized what I was doing, it just hurt so much to think about you and her together that I just wanted to do something and stop thinking about it..." She told him, ashamed.

"But I never slept with Lynn. I took her out on one date, after that concert, and I didn't even kiss her goodbye." He told her, not wanting to dwell on the subject.

"I didn't know that." She murmured, crestfallen. "And then, the next day, when Dean came to my house, wanting to talk about it, I couldn't even look him in the face. He told me he was leaving Lindsay for me, and all I could think about was that he wasn't you." She confessed. "And even before I could tell him that it was a mistake, mom barged it, and he just left. And well, you know the end to that story." She finally told him.

"The next thing I know, Lindsay is yelling at me that Dean wanted a divorce because we were having an affair, and the whole town heard about it, and it was not even true. We weren't having an affair, it was just one stupid mistake. A one-time, really stupid mistake."

Tristan couldn't believe what he was hearing. One time? They had slept together one time? When she was drunk enough to think it was a good idea? It wasn't an affair. That's when it all made sense.

"You told Jess. That's why he almost put Dean in the hospital. You told Jess, and you didn't tell me."

"I couldn't tell you that." She argued.

"You'd have to tell me you loved me, that's why you thought you couldn't tell me." He concluded. "You should have told me."

"You know now." She said. "Do you still want to be with me?" She asked him, afraid of the answer, afraid that he hated her now that knew the real reason that she did that terrible thing.

"Of course I do. I love you. That's not going to change so soon. Don't you get it? I've loved you for a long time, Mary."

"We're both stupid." She said, thinking about all the time they lost, that they could be together. "So, how are we going to do that?"

"Well. It's october now. We'll see each other at Thanksgiving and Christmas break, because daddy dearest already requested my presence in Hartford. Then, we'll have enough time to figure out the rest." He told her.

"You promise?" She asked, looking at him with those big, blue eyes.

"I do, babe. I promise. We'll figure it out. Now can I kiss my girlfriend?" He asked her.

"Am I your girlfriend now, then?"

"I thought that was the point of this whole conversation..." He said, confused.

"And here I thought that it was customary to ask the girl first, you know?" She teased.

"I'm positive that by morning you'll have it all figured out..." He told her, putting his arms around her and pulling her close to him, so that he could kiss her.

"I like being your girlfriend." She said, out of breath.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

"Rory, slow down, hun!" Lorelai said.

They were late for the Gilmore's Thanksgiving Dinner, as usual. They had attended a handful of Thanksgiving dinners today, and the Gilmore's was the last one. Rory was all set and ready to go, but Lorelai was still trying to figure out what shoes would go with her outfit the best.

"Mom, for the last time, if you're not ready and inside the car in two minutes, I'm going without you." Rory threatened. She was really nervous. She was sure that Tristan was already there, attending the dinner with his parents, and it would be the first time she saw him since she left Washington. Since they were together for real.

They talked on the phone almost everyday, and they emailed each other constantly. Tristan was always trying to reassure her that everything was going to be all right, but she was still a bit weary of the new status of their relationship. Deep down, she didn't think she was very good with relationships. But she was willing to try.

"Okay, okay. I'm ready. I've never seen you so anxious to go to your grandparents." Lorelai said, and smirked at the sight of her daughter's attempt to cover her embarrassment. "Oh, I see. It's not the grandparents you're anxious to see... It's Bible Boy."

"Shut up, mom." She said, but couldn't suppress the smile that thinking about Tristan brought to her face. So she just ignored her mother and got into the car.

The ride into Hartford was uneventful, and they arrived only a few minutes after the first guests. And as Rory predicted, the DuGrey's were there, all four of them. She saw Janlen DuGrey talking animatedly with her grandfather, with Tristan by his side. And she saw his parents having a quiet argument by the drink's cart. She tried to make out what they were arguing about, but their voices were too low. She was so intent on listening that she didn't notice Tristan approaching her.

"They are arguing about me, as usual. Nothing to worry about." He whispered, and watched in delight as Rory trembled at his proximity and at the sound of his voice. "I missed you, Mary." He continued, invading her personal space. He was close enough that Rory could almost feel his lips on her neck.

Rory closed her eyes and tried to control her heartbeat. She wanted nothing more than to melt into his arms and kiss him senseless, but they agreed to be discreet about their relationship. Or in other words, lie through their teeth to their grandparents.

Rory didn't want the pressure that Emily and Richard would surely exert, in what she was sure was their way to protect her and make sure that she had a future full of social calls and wedding bells. They had, after all, her best interests at heart, and would be thrilled to know that she and Tristan were an item. And Tristan wanted to avoid his family's interference and manipulation that he was sure would take place, to bring him back home and transfer him to Yale, to follow his father's path. He was sure that once it was public knowledge that he was seeing Rory, his family would try to use her to bring him back.

The only one that knew about the two of them dating was Lorelai, and she was more than thrilled. She loved Tristan, mostly because she knew that he loved her daughter dearly, and would do anything to make her happy. She also knew it was only a matter of time before he gave up and transferred to Yale, just to be close to her. She picked up a champagne glass and tried not to laugh at the worst attempt of discretion she had seen lately.

"Tristan," Rory managed to say, finding her voice after a few seconds. She was afraid to move, or open her eyes, and find their secret spread to the world. She just couldn't control her reaction to Tristan.

"You should open your eyes, Mary, or people will start wondering..." Tristan said, amused. He loved that he could do this to her. Leave her speechless and wanting him.

Rory open her eyes, and turned to him, and Tristan sucked in his breath. Maybe he shouldn't have told her to open her eyes just yet. He could read the longing and the lust in them. If he didn't control himself, he was going to be the one to ruin everything by kissing her senseless in the middle of her grandparents living room.

"Hi!" She said, looking as innocent as he always imagine she was. "I missed you too." She smiled.

"Stop smiling like that. People will notice." He told her, taking a step back, and putting some distance between them.

"So, how long are you gonna stay here?" She asked.

"In Hartford or at your grandparents house?" He answered, already thinking about ways to be alone with her. She was like and addiction. Since he took his first taste of her, at that damn party, he was hooked. After the night that she came after him in Washington, and they spent the whole night getting to know each other, it was all he could think about. Sure, there was a lot more to their relationship then the physical part of it, but he couldn't help himself. He loved her, and he loved the way she made him feel, or how easy it was for him to lose all control around her.

"At Hartford! You know that we can't do anything here, if we want to keep our relationship to ourselves for the time."

"Are you sure about that, Mary? I distinctly remember your mother telling us about plenty of places she used to disappear in this house, to have some privacy..." He smirked, and looked her up and down, drinking her in. She looked unbelievably hot in that dress, and all he could think about was helping her get rid of it. He knew that he was not going to last the evening without being able to kiss her, touch her.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Rory whispered, recognizing the look in his eyes.

"Like what?" He asked, watching her shiver in response to the way he was looking at her.

"Like you're about to toss me over the table and have your way with me." Rory continued, blushing slightly at the mere thought of Tristan's mouth on hers.

Tristan groaned, and took her hand, pulling her along with him, as he tried to find a place where they could be alone. He marched through the living room, into the kitchen, and finally into the pantry. He made sure that no one was watching them as he kicked the door shut, and pressed Rory against it. Then he took his time properly ravishing her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

By the time that they realized they were together inside that small pantry for over an hour, and they decided to return to the party, they noticed that it was already in full swing. They tried to be discreet about it, and go their separate ways, but they obviously didn't escape Lorelai's watchful gaze.

Rory could feel herself blushing under her mother's scrutiny, but that didn't erase the smile from her face. She turned the other way, and was silently looking for some friendly face to help pass the time. She could talk to her mother later, when the events that had just transpired would be out of her mind for at least a couple of hours.

"You know, I have to give you points for creativity, hun. I've never thought about making out in the pantry, and I've lived here longer than you." Lorelai said, sneaking up behind her. Making fun of her daughter was one of the highlights of motherhood, at least in Lorelai Gilmore's book.

Lorelai still could not fully understand why her daughter felt the need to hide her relationship from her grandparents. Sure, there were always upsides to not telling Emily and Richard... well, everything. Or anything, for that matter. Well, to say the truth, she could totally understand why Rory had chosen to do that: no one in their right minds would think it was a good idea to share their relationship status with Emily Gilmore. It was an open invitation for having said relationship scrutinized and studied, as well as mapped out for at least the next fifty years. Weddings and children included. Maybe it really was better this way.

"Well, seeing as I've never lived in this house... I don't think that it qualifies as a competition." Rory answered quietly, without looking her mother in the eye.

"What about that time that you were snowed in here, a couple of years ago. Remember? The fight with Lane, the frozen pizza...If I'm not mistaken mom had you room done shortly after that." Lorelai continued, waiting for her daughter to look at her.

"Mom, that was one night. One night does not qualify as living arrangements."

"Even worse, oh daughter of mine. You've never lived here and you managed to find just the right place for you and Bible Boy do the... you know what? I'm going to stop right here. I'm not sure I want to know what you two were doing in there."

Rory was about to hand a clever retort to her mother when she was snatched away. She never saw it coming: one minute she was talking quietly with her mother, and the next, she was trying to keep her arm attached to her body, while her grandmother was thinking whom to introduce her to in the next hour or two.

"Rory! Here you are! I've been looking for you for ages!" Emily said, with a knowing look in her face which Rory was more than used to see, especially when her grandmother was trying to play matchmaker for Lorelai.

"I was just mingling grandma." Rory started, but was immediately hushed. She had no choice but to follow her.

"Well, there's some people here I'd like you to meet, Rory." Emily said, in her no-nonsense tone, all the while dragging her granddaughter behind her. She navigated through the crowd of guests as if she knew exactly where those particular ones were located.

It took Rory all of three seconds to understand what her grandmother was trying to do. She immediately flash-backed to that damn "Male Yale Party" she was conned into attending, not so long ago, and she couldn't believe that they were doing it again. Well, at least this time they were much more inconspicuous about it, seeing as there were several girls in the party this time. And it was a Thanksgiving Dinner. The fact that her mother was there too also ran at her favor, if things got too out of control.

After almost one hour of greeting and smiling and nodding, she finally got a glimpse of the blond hair she was looking for since exiting the pantry. She had lost sight of Tristan the minute that her grandmother snatched her away from Lorelai. She wondered if he had found suitable company for the evening, which would ensure that he remained trouble-free, or if he managed to scape to one of those famous sub-parties.

Of course, if he did manage to scape to the pool-house, that could mean a whole sort of other problems, given the last time that happened. She was about come up with an excuse to get ride of Emily Gilmore when Tristan moved, and she saw that he was talking to someone she didn't know. She frowned as she tried to place that blond, but didn't get anywhere. Before she could stop herself, she turned to her grandmother and opened her big, fat mouth.

"Hey, Grandma, who's that girl over there talking to Tristan DuGrey?" She asked, already regretting it.

"Oh, dear, that is Carolyn Grant." She answered, giggling like a schoolgirl. "I knew that those two were perfect for each other. Oh, they do look great together! Don't they look great together, Rory?"

"Umm... yeah, sure." Rory answered in auto-pilot. She was not thinking straight right now. "I'm sorry, grandma, but I... I have to go" she said, and just walked in the other direction, as far away from Tristan and that Grant girl as possible. The fact that her mother was standing in the other side of the room as well was just an added bonus.

* * *

**A/N - Ok. I know, it's on the short side, but at least I got it done. I'll try to wrap this story up asap! Thank you for waiting! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

Rory spent no time crossing the room to her mother's side. She manage to avoid the first batch of snark comments basically because she was not listening: she was too occupied watching Tristan like a hawk. When Lorelai noticed that her daughter was paying little to none attention to her, she followed Rory's gaze until she found what was troubling her. She sighed, and tried to get Rory's attention away from the scene, but to no avail. It looked like she was going to have to wait for this night's event to unfold to know what to do. She just hoped that her daughter would not be heartbroken in the end of the evening.

"Is that - ?" Lorelai asked, finding that there was no need for complete sentences. They were always good with the half conversations, or silent ones.

"Yep." Rory answered, without taking her eyes from them. Why, why did she have to ask her grandmother who Tristan was talking to. And didn't he promise her that he would not see Lynn anymore? What the hell was he doing, then?

"Are they -?" She started again, this time getting her daughter's attention. Surely they were not together. This had her mother's signature all over it, the meddling and the matchmaking. This was an Emily Gilmore Special.

"I don't know. Did grandma-."

"She must have, otherwise Tristan must -"

"He didn't. He wouldn't. Would he?" Rory asked her mother, her big, baby blue eyes already starting to cloud with unshed tears. She was positive that Tristan was not lying to her, that he would not have invited Lynn as his date or something like that. She knew that. But she would feel ten thousand times better if her mother agreed with her.

"Oh hun. I'm sure he wouldn't." Lorelai answered softly, trying to comfort her. "Well, we will have to revisit this subject in a full-sentences kind of conversation any given time, you know?"

"Thanks mom. Do you think we could go home now? I don't feel very thankful right now."

"Sure, hun. Go grab our things, I'm going to stuff some pies in my shirt and say good-bye to your grandparents. I'll tell them I have a headache and you kindly offered to drive me home. I'll meet you out front."

"How on earth is she going to stuff pumpkin pie in her shirt?" Rory asked herself, since her mother was already across the room. She was strangely happy that her insane mother was able to lift her mood. She was already feeling better, just with the prospect of going home, accompanied of some of the most delicious thanksgiving pumpkin pie. She'd wait for her by the car, and in no time at all they'd be at home.

After five minutes or so, she heard someone approaching her, and she didn't think twice:

"I'm still wondering how many of those pies did you manage to stuff inside your-" She said, turning around, just to come face to face with a bunch of blond hair, and sparking eyes.

"You're not my mother!" She said, without thinking. She was not expecting to see him. Not at her grandparents driveway anyway.

"Wow, you're really observant. I knew I had the right nickname for you, Ace. No, it's safe to say I'm not your mother." Logan said, that permanent smirk in his face.

"Logan. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the Gilmore's Thanksgiving dinner."

"You were invited?" She asked, bewildered. She had seen him a couple of times at Yale, once or twice at the Daily News. But after that male Yale party, he had not yet talked to her.

"Oh, Ace, sure I was invited. Along with the folks. But an even more important question is... why is your mother stuffing pies anywhere?" Logan asked, leaning on his car, crossing one foot over the other. This girl never ceases to amaze him.

"Well. Have you ever tried one of grandma's thanksgiving pies?" Rory asked, annoyed.

"I'd have to say no. I usually prefer your grandfather scotch, you know... when I do attend these parties."

"Well, you'd know if you'd tried one." She mumbled.

"So, are you coming inside? Surely you're not going home... The party had barely started!" He asked her, noticing a slightly older version of Rory coming out of the Gilmore place.

"As a matter of fact, she is. She's the designated driver tonight." Rory heard her mother say, and relaxed. Logan had the uncanny ability of unnerving her, no matter what they were talking about. She always ended up with an unease feeling, for no apparent reason.

"Hey mom! Are you ready to go?" She asked, totally ignoring Logan's questioning look.

"Sure, hun." She said, and turned to the blond guy currently undressing her daughter with his eyes. "I'm Lorelai, by the way."

"Logan Huntzberger. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Gilmore."

"Huntzberger, huh. Well, call me Lorelai. Mrs Gilmore is my mother." Lorelai replied, and turned to her daughter. "Ready to go, hun?"

Lorelai saw the looks those two were exchanging and decided to ask her daughter about that later. Right now, all she wanted was to go home, far far away from the Gilmore world. She walked to the other side of the car, giving Rory the keys to drive, and as she was opening the door to come inside, something caught her attention. She looked up to see Tristan at the door, watching them, a not so nice look on his face. Thank God we're out of here! She thought. She was almost sure that a fight was going to break loose, and she didn't want to be the one doing the explaining. She closed the door, turned the radio on, and smiled, thinking about the two blond boys fighting over her daughter's attention.

Rory looked at her mother sly smile, and wondered what exactly had happened. She was backing the car up when she got a glimpse of a blond hair in the rear-view mirror. She was hoping to scape Tristan, but it looked like he was acutely aware of her whereabouts. And from the way he was looking at Logan, he was not very happy about it. Well, she would deal with him later.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

Logan watched the mother-daughter duo drive away, and turned to enter the Gilmore Mansion. That's when he saw Tristan standing guard at the door, a sour look on his face. This should be fun! He thought. It was obvious to him that there was something going on between Tristan and Rory, and he would be damned if he didn't get a good laugh messing with them. He did nothing to suppress the sly smile in his face, and walked up to the door.

"Get out!" Tristan said, his hands clenched at his side. He was trying really hard to keep his voice down and not hit him over and over again, to wipe that smile from his face. He really hated those guys.

"Didn't know you got gig as a doorman, DuGrey. What, your parents are not giving you enough money, now?"

"Get out, Huntzberger. You have no business here." He repeated, his voice a bit lower than before.

"I was invited. My parents are inside." Logan told him, enunciating the words as if he was talking to a kid. "And my business is my own. Don't get your panties in a twist just because I was hitting on your girlfriend. Oh, my mistake, I'm sorry, I forgot she's not your girlfriend." He grinned. It was too easy pushing his buttons.

"But I have to say, jealousy is not a good color for you, man."

"I'm gonna spell it really slow so maybe you will get it this time. Get. Out. And get the hell away from Rory too." Tristan threatened him, not really caring that most of the party, the Gilmore's included, were watching from the foyer the two of them having it out.

"Now, why would I get away from Rory. She's a smart, beautiful little thing. She's a constant surprise, she's a hell of a writer, and we actually do have a lot in common. I was thinking about asking her out for some time now. She even introduced me to her mother tonight."

"She's too good for you, Huntzberger. And she's taken. So, I'm telling you again, get the hell away from my girlfriend." Tristan said, not really noticing that the cat was out of the bag now.

"You said she was not your girlfriend." Logan grinned. He heard Emily Gilmore take a sharp intake of breath, and just like that the gossip began.

"I lied." Tristan growled, and before his mind could process what he was doing, he took a swing at Logan. Thankfully, he was a lot more drunk than he though he was, and Logan was a lot quicker than he gave him credit for, and he missed.

"Careful, DuGrey. You try that again, and I'll not think twice before punching you back. You're making a scene." Logan drawled. "I suggest you go after your girlfriend, before she hears it from her grandparents that you tried to start a fight.

Tristan chose that particular time to sober up, and as he turned around, he saw the people gathered in the foyer, watching their discussion. He caught his grandfather' eyes, and saw that he was more than displeased with all that had transpired. He mumbled an apology for the Gilmore's, shook his head at his grandfather, who was starting to walk towards him, cursed all the scotch he had to drink, and decided it was best if he was left alone.

Lynn tried to go after him, but Logan stopped her at the door. If the fight itself did nothing to ruin Tristan and Rory's relationship, him leaving with Lynn would certainly bury it.

"I wouldn't do it if I were you. He's in enough trouble as it is." Logan told Lynn. They were old acquaintances, ever since Lynn's sister and his own sister Honor went to school together.

"I had no idea they were seeing each other. Mrs Gilmore insisted that they were just friends. Tristan told me tonight that he was seeing someone, but he never told me it was Rory. Oh my. She must have seen us talking." Lynn told Logan.

"They'll figure it out. Right now, I think that the best you could do is walk with me inside, and help me find a sound bottle of scotch." Logan smirked, wrapping his arm around Lynn. "The night's still pretty young, and I haven't seen you in ages.

They passed the Gilmore couple, and Logan strained to hear what they were talking about. Emily Gilmore was livid. She argued a bit more, and stepped aside to use the telephone in the study. He was sure she was about to call Rory. Well, as he said, he would be damned if he didn't mess around with them. He was not lying when he told Tristan that he was going to ask Rory out. To say the truth, he did it a couple of times, and her answer was always the same. She was not interested. Well, he hoped DuGrey was smart enough not to let her walk away.

Meanwhile, Rory and Lorelai were almost home. Lorelai tried a couple of times to get her daughter to talk about Tristan. Or about Logan. But Rory was not ready to talk yet. Every time Lorelai opened her mouth to ask something, Rory would turn the radio on, or change the station, or turn up the volume. The message was clear enough. Lorelai was about to try again when her phone started to ring.

"That's odd!" She said, looking at the caller ID. "Look, it's your grandmother. Why is she calling me? We were just there!"

"Well, aren't you going to answer it?" Rory asked, turning the radio down.

"What could she possibly have to tell me now, that can't wait?"

"Mom, just answer it!"

"Okay. But you'll have to agree it's odd. Right?" Lorelai stalled. She really didn't want to answer the phone. One evening with her mother was more than enough.

"I agree. It's odd. Now answer the phone, before it stops-" She didn't even finish the sentence.

"Ha. It stopped. Now she will have to leave a message, and I can call her next week and say that I didn't get to listen to my messages until then." Lorelai said, triumphantly.

"Or, she'll try again, and scold you because you didn't answer your phone." Rory said, and watched as her mother turned her phone off. "Or you could do just that... "

"Ooh, I know. Let's stop at Sookie's and see if she has leftover cookies or something! Or home-made ice-cream to eat with the pies. Ooh, or whipped cream! She makes the best whipped cream ever." Lorelai said dreamily, putting her phone away for the night.

"Sure. Let's do that! I could use some ice-cream right now." Rory said.

Sure enough, their stop over at Sookie's left them filled with goodies to carry home. They left the bags on the kitchen table, and while Lorelai sorted through their movies for something to see, Rory decided to check her messages. She had 5 missed calls on her phone, and she wondered how many her mother would have. Well, she'd get to them in the morning. She saw that the light was blinking on their answering machine. She pressed play, and was about to come into the living room, where her mother was sitting on the floor, when her grandmother's voice in the answering machine stopped her dead in her tracks.

"LORELAI LEIGH GILMORE, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU NOT TELL ME YOU WERE SEEING THAT BOY? "


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

* * *

Rory was unable to move. She just stood there, frozen to the spot, listening to her grandmother yelling at her through the phone. She felt her mother's hand on her shoulders, guiding her to the living room sofa, and was forced to sit down. She couldn't believe it. What the hell did Tristan do at that damn party? She heard the words "fight" and "Logan" and "disappointment" and tried to tune out the rest of it.

She couldn't understand what went wrong, from the minute that she exited that pantry, after the endless make-out session, and now. One minute they are together, and the next she's feeling sick to her stomach watching him with Lynn, dealing with Logan and hearing about a fight between the two blond boys.

While Emily Gilmore's voice was still echoing through the house, Lorelai picked up her mobile phone and called her mother. This night was never going to end. As soon as Emily answered the phone, she went into the kitchen and closed the door, to get at least a tiny bit of privacy, but she was so mad that she doubted that the closed-door would help.

Rory flinched every time that she could hear her mother saying her - or Tristan's name, and every time it was accompanied by a very nauseous feeling. The third time it happened, she decided to just go for a walk and let her mother handle this mess. After all, she was an expert when dealing with Emily Gilmore's disappointment.

She didn't go very far. She saw Tristan's car approaching when she was walking down the stairs from the front porch. She waited, arms crossed at her chest and a murdering look on her face, while he parked the car, closed his eyes for a second - surely to think how to get out of it unscathed, and opened the door.

He reached her quickly, with strong, determined steps, and before she could start yelling at him he just took her in his arms and kissed her. Maybe he did have a lot more to drink than he imagined he did. He was still shaking with anger, hearing Logan's voice in his head, saying that he had asked her out countless times. And it made him even madder thinking about what he would do to Rory when she got tired of turning him down and went out with him.

The angrier he got, the fiercer he kissed her. He couldn't get enough of her, not even to enough to calm him down, to counter the effect of Logan's words in his ears. He couldn't understand why the hell he could not keep his temper in check whenever Rory was concerned. Not that she knew it, but this was not the first time that he tried to punch someone because of her, and he was sure that it would not be the last time.

Rory was taken aback at first, when Tristan just kissed her senseless. But after a couple of seconds - or minutes, to say the truth, she pushed him away from her and took a couple of steps back. She could hardly breathe, much less talk. She took a deep breath, trying to get hold of the emotions coursing through her, and almost getting there when she saw those dark blue eyes, full of lust and anger and, she imagined, frustration, piercing through her, and another wave of feelings rushed through her, making her want to be back at his arms again. And of course, it made her even angrier.

"Do not touch me right now!" She said, angrily. But she didn't eve knew if it was him that she was angry with or herself. She shouldn't let him kiss her like that, not until she learned for sure what happened at the party, especially after she left. She nodded, to say that she was serious, and took another step back when took one forward, in her direction. She had to keep the smallest amount of distance between them, before she completely lost her mind.

"I can't. I can't stop touching you, I can't stop thinking about you, dreaming about you. I just can't. I can't get enough of you, I can't get you out of my head for a second, even when I'm right next to you." He said. "I get angry just by thinking about all those guys - especially Huntzberger - coming on to you, trying to date you, while I'm all the way in Washington DC. I hate having to lie to my grandfather, I hate having to sneak around to kiss you at your grandparents house, and I definitely hate having to see them trying to set you up. I hate it, and I won't do it anymore." Tristan said, and gave her no warning, no time to take another step back, away from him. He grabbed her arm, pulling her into his body and dove in for a second kiss.

Rory was left feeling reeling for a second time, after hearing Tristan ranting about her, that she didn't even see that second kiss coming. If she did, she would have been able to stop it. She hated to feel that she had no control of her emotions, or her response to Tristan. She couldn't help it. Even when she was in total control of her abilities, he had the power to undo her. Like right now. She fought the kiss, when she came to her senses, for half a second, but immediately gave in, when she felt Tristan strengthen his hold on her, and deepen even more the kiss. She forgot all about being mad at him, for talking to Lynn at the party, for fighting to Logan, and for the angry Emily Gilmore call that she was sure was his doing.

She would have stood there kissing him forever, if her mother hadn't showed up looking for her. They both jumped apart when they head the door being slammed close. Tristan was trying to catch his breath and regain control of his body's reaction to kissing Rory. He could imagine that, as liberal Lorelai was, she would not refrain from killing him right now, if she knew what he was thinking about doing to her only daughter. And Rory, Rory was trying to understand what the hell happened to her.

"Well, I can see that you two lovebirds have made up, and while I think it's all good and all, I still have a very angry Emily Gilmore on the phone, wanting to yell a little bit more at my daughter for lying to her. And I don't think that she would find it as amusing as I do, seeing you two kissing like that in the middle of the street." She ranted, in a very Gilmore Girl fashion.

If looks could kill, the two teenagers would be dead. They were both speechless. Lorelai knew that Tristan would show up at their door before the night was over, but she wasn't expecting to see them going at it like that in less than ten minutes. She imagined that her daughter would at least chew him a little for getting her into trouble. Or demand an explanation about that girl he was talking to. She knew that they would make up, they loved each other, and they had already lost a lot of time apart, lying to themselves and to each other. But that didn't mean that she wanted to see them doing that. She figured that Rory would send him on his way, and talk to him in the morning.

"Well?" Lorelai asked again, motioning for the phone in her hand.

"I'll talk to her, mom. It was my idea after all..." Rory said, thinking that it was the perfect excuse to stay away from Tristan for a couple of seconds. She was still reeling from the kiss, when it downed on her what he had said. I hate it, and I won't do it anymore. What the hell was that? Did that mean that he was breaking up with her? Did he think it was too hard, too much trouble to do the whole long-distance thing? She knew it, right from the beginning, that it would never work. And now, she had no one to blame but herself for all the heartache that she was going to have to endure.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. I decided to change the rating just to be on the safe side. Enjoy.**

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It took Tristan close to a second to understand what was going through Rory's mind. He repeated, inside his head, what he just said to her, and he couldn't believe how poorly were his choice of words. Of course she was going to misunderstand him. Come on, this is Rory Gilmore, after all.

He sighed and decided that he did not have enough stamina to last a whole night trying to make her understand what he was trying to say. Maybe it was too hard. Maybe he'd been taking a too difficult approach. _Something has got to change! _He told himself.

Lorelai just stood there, quietly watching the wheels turning inside Tristan's head. She knew that he was a good boy, and that he loved her daughter. But he obviously knew nothing about that girl. She winced, thinking about what Rory must be thinking about, and decided that she was not going to let them deal with this fight alone. Or else, she would be stuck here with them for a really long time.

She decided to start with Rory. She held her hand when she saw that Tristan was about to say something, and just motioned for him to sit down and wait. World War III was surely going on inside her house, because she could still hear Emily yelling through the closed door, and she knew that it would be awhile before she'd let Rory hang up the phone. So, she had time to concoct a game plan. She couldn't take anymore of this drama.

Tristan, on the other hand, totally misjudged Lorelai's intention. He was sure she was taking her daughter's side, with or without taking the time to hear his explanation. And truth be told, he didn't really have one. What could he say? That he drank too much, and was insanely jealous of that arrogant prick? That he was sorry he caused a scene at her grandparents' and inadvertently told everyone in Hartford about the status of their relationship? That _that_ was exactly what he was doing, when he was talking to Lynn at the party. He was telling her that he was currently seeing someone, and thought it would be better if they maintained their distance. Damn. He had forgotten about Lynn for a second.

He just sat down on Lorelai's porch steps, and put his head between his knees. The more he thought about it, the worst the feeling in his stomach... _Great. Just what I needed, to get sick at my girlfriend's mother yard._ He took a couple of deep breaths, that did nothing at all to help his upset stomach, and raised his head, looking at Lorelai's direction.

"I really screwed that up, didn't I?" He asked,

"Well. You really tried, back at the Gilmore's. What were you doing, anyway? Flirting with that girl, and picking a fight with Logan?" Lorelai asked him, more for her daughter's benefit than her own. She had already figured it all out, and she could not believe that someone that was as bright as Rory couldn't not see it.

"I was not flirting with anyone. I was just telling Lynn that I was seeing someone, and that maybe it would be better if we kept our distance. That's all. I was not expecting to see her there, and I couldn't just ignore her. Especially after Emily sent her after me... And I didn't pick a fight with Logan-" He tried to continue, but Lorelai interrupted him.

"Hold it right there, mister. You told that Grant girl that you couldn't see her anymore?" She repeated. She noticed that it was a lot quieter inside her living room, and she hoped that Rory was listening.

"No. I had already told her that. That I shouldn't see her anymore, because I was in love with someone else. It was way before that party, it was even before Rory showed up at my dorm. She knew that I was not alone at that party, and we both knew that Emily and my mother were still trying to set us up, so when she found me at the party, I just told her that it would be better if we kept our distance."

"Wow. I knew that there must be an explanation. Emily Gilmore strikes again..." Lorelai mumbled.

"And, before you say something else, I wouldn't have picked a fight with Logan if he weren't so keen on hitting on Rory. Come on, he was all over her, he kept saying that he had already asked her out, and that it was only a matter of time before she fell for him." Tristan spat out, he was already bursting at the seams...

"I'd never, in a million years, fall for him. I thought you already knew that!" Rory said at the door. "He can ask as many times as he wants. The only person I want to date is you."

"Well. Good. Because you're the only one I want to date." Tristan said, standing up.

"But you just said that it was too hard, that you didn't want to do that anymore." She said, looking down. She could not look his in the eyes. She was already on the verge of tears, and she hated crying over a boy.

Both of them were acutely aware that Lorelai was still there, listening to their conversation. That was one of the reasons that Tristan refrained from grabbing her by her arms and shake some sense into her. Or kiss her. But he knew that if he started kissing her again, they would not finish this conversation, and he was sure Lorelai would not appreciate seeing her daughter being mauled.

"Well, yeah. I don't want to sneak around anymore. I'm tired of all the lies and the excuses. I'm tired of having to deal with guys like Huntzberger thinking they have a shot with you, and I'm especially tired of seeing your grandparents trying to set you up. I just, I can't do that anymore." He told her again, hoping that this time, she would get it.

"But-"

"But what, Rory? Aren't you tired? Don't you hate having to lie and sneak around?" He tried one more time.

"I just, I don't know what else to do. Because you're in Washington, and I'm here, and we both knew that I was not going to work out..."

"You're giving up? I'm here, telling you that I don't want to sneak around anymore, that I want to be able to tell the whole world that we're together, and you what, you want to break up?" He said, starting to get angry. This was already out of control. It was like a snow ball.

"I'm not saying I'm giving up. I'm just saying that it's too hard. That we knew from the beginning that it was going to be hard, and that maybe it is not worth it. I'm reevaluating. I'm not giving up." Rory stubbornly said.

"Well, okay then. Reevaluate all you want. I'm still going to be here next term." He said, and started to walk back to his car. He really thought that they were going to be able to work it out tonight. She could try to run and hide all she wanted, he was not going to give up this time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye. Enjoy.**

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"Next term? What do you mean you're still going to be here next term?" Rory yelled. She couldn't believe that he was walking away again.

"Hun, I think you'd better go after him, this time." Lorelai warned her. But Rory was rooted to the spot. She wanted to go after him, even if it was to yell at him some more. But she couldn't move, She kept replaying the things he just said in her head, and the more she thought about it, the less sense it did.

"I mean it, Ror. He's getting inside his car, and he's going to go away. If you want him to stay, or, I don't know, if you want to stop reevaluating your status as his girlfriend, you'd better go after him this time." Lorelai said one more time, and went towards the house. It was high time those two figured things out.

Rory started towards Tristan's car, and caught up with him just as he was opening the door to enter. She still wasn't sure about what she was going to do, but her mother was right. She was not going to let him walk away this time. She started to slightly panic when Tristan didn't stop when she called his name, and without thinking it through, she just slapped his hand away and shut the car's door.

When Tristan turned around to confront her, he saw that she was practically on top of him. He was not expecting her to be so close to him, and Rory took advantage of those seconds and kissed the daylights out of him. She backed him into the car, pressed her body to him, and held on for dear life. She was done talking. To say the truth, at that exact moment, she was also done thinking. There was only room to feel.

"I'm not going to let you walk away this time." Rory told him, still pressing into him.

"Good, because I'm not going anywhere. I'm transferring to Yale for the next semester." He told her.

"You're what?"

"What did you think I meant when I told you I was going to be here next term?" He smirked.

"But, what about Washington? What about all the reasons you wanted to stay away from Hartford?"

"Well, that was then. This is now. I was not factoring you in when I decided that. Besides, Yale has as good a program as Maryland. And I'll get to see you all the time. See, I'm reevaluating things, and deciding that staying close to you is a lot more important than staying away from my parents." He told her.

Rory was speechless She didn't know what to say to him, how to show him that he was as important to her as she was to him. So she did the only thing she could think of doing. She kissed him again.

When Lorelai came out the house, they were still locked in that moment. Not even her not-at-all-appropriate remarks were able to interrupt them. It was just when she threatened to get a hose that they forced themselves to break the kiss, and put some distance between them.

"So, I take it all is well between you two lovebirds, right?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, We're good!" Rory said, smiling, and taking Tristan's hand.

"Good, because Emily is expecting you two next Friday Night." She told them, smirking, and let the two of them alone. They knew where to find here.

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**N/A - So, that's it folks! I'm still going to write an epilogue, and maybe a coupe of one shots after that. I hope you all enjoyed it! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. I just have a very fertile imagination. This is my take on what could have happened if Rory realized, before Tristan left, that she wanted him to kiss her goodbye.**

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"Come on, Babe. We're going to be late to Friday Night Dinner if the don't leave soon." Tristan said.

"Gez. I'm going." Rory answered, coming out of their bedroom. She was already dressed, and was putting on her favorite earrings They were a Graduation Present from her father. "I've never seen you so anxious to go to my grandparents' for dinner."

"Wow. You look amazing. Is that a new dress?" He asked, when she stopped at the door. She always looked amazing to him. Ever since that first day she walked into Chilton and turned his life upside down. He couldn't believe that, after almost 3 years, they were still together. Well, scratch that. He couldn't believe that they have been living together for almost a year now.

"Yeah. I went shopping with mom. I was trying to cheer her up. She's been a little down ever since we've moved to New York. I think she's jealous of you." Rory answered him.

"Well, she had you for a long time, babe. And you weren't even living with her for some time now."

"I know. But you know her. Hartford almost didn't count. She would visit us almost twice or three-times a week. There were some weeks that I would come out of the paper and she would be there, sitting on a bench, waiting for me with a cup of coffee." Rory said. "But she was awfully cheerful last week! She actually said she was looking forward for Friday Night Dinner."

Tristan had to suppress a smile listening to that. He was afraid that Lorelai would slip and tell her everything. But so far, everything was under control. He knew that Lorelai and Chris wouldn't miss this dinner. He couldn't believe he was going to do it.

"Well, shall we?" Rory said, pulling Tristan out of his thoughts. "You were the one complaining that we were going to be..." She started to say, but was cut of when Tristan, instead of opening the door, slowly backed her up against it and kissed her. Softly at first, but, like most of the times, in a couple of seconds, one of them deepened the kiss, and the other one moaned, and soon they were lost in each other. This time, Tristan was the one to come to his senses first. He sighed into her mouth, pulled back, and rested his forehead against hers.

"You were saying?" He asked her, pleased to see that he was not the only one having trouble maintaining his train of though.

… late. We're going be late" She finished.

"There's still time for this." He said, and kissed her again, but this time, it was a quick kiss.

They were living in New York for almost 4 months now. Their last years was a total blur. Tristan had transferred to Yale three years ago, and their relationship totally changed from there on. Sure, he was still a little jealous of Logan, and the time that they spent together at the paper and in those LDB events. But he learned to tolerate him and his crew. And Rory had learned to trust him, trust that he was a one-woman man. Both their grandparents were very pleased that they were going out, untill their last year at Yale, when they decided to rent an off-campus apartment together. Emily had pitched a fit when she heard about it, and it was months before she gave up and stop harassing them.

Tristan was doing an internship in Hartford's District Attorney's Office, and she was doing an internship at the Hartford Courant. They were both insanely busy, but very happy with their accomplishments. They both graduated with honors, and Tristan took and passed the bar exam a couple of months later. Rory accepted a position at the Hartford Courant, doing Human Interest stories, and Tristan applied for a job as District Attorney. They were already living together in New Haven, and when both of them found themselves working in Hartford, the most logical thing to do was look for an apartment there.

Once again their grandparents were beside themselves. Rory lost count of how many times he heard that it was not unheard of a well-mannered woman to live together with a man, unmarried. And Tristan lost count of the times that both Janlen and Richard would demand that he married Rory. But Lorelai and Chris stood by them. It was their lives, and their decision. If they wanted to live together, they were fine with it. Because deep down inside they knew that, when they were ready, they would get married.

After a good six months living in Hartford, Tristan was appointed District Attorney in Westchester, due to his family name and status, and they decided to move to Manhattan. It took Rory some a couple of weeks, but she was able to found a position at The New York Press, in the Lifestyle section. It was not an International Correspondent in the New York Times, but she would get there.

But right now, the only place they needed to get was her Grandparents' place. Tristan could remember like it was yesterday the first dinner that Emily and Richard insisted that he attended, after that fateful Thanksgiving Party. He remembered saying that ever since that damn "Male Yale Party" they decided to throw Rory, he was totally and completely in love with their granddaughter. It just took him awhile to convince her that he was serious and, even more to convince her to go out with him.

He assured both of them that they were not dating behind their backs, that it was a new development of their relationship, that they had just went out in a couple of dates. And Tristan assured them that it was exactly at their Thanksgiving Party that Rory finally decided to agree to be his girlfriend. And that of course they were going to announce it at a more proper time and place.

Well, both their families seemed to buy that, and they were left alone to their own devices until they decided to rent and apartment off-campus. That's when the harassment began. Little did they know that it was always Tristan's intention to marry Rory. He just knew that he needed to wait some time for that to happen. When they moved to Hartford, he started looking for a ring, and for the perfect time to pop the question. He was going to do it, but moving to Manhattan had messed with his schedule.

After Rory found a positing at the New York Press, he just knew it was time. He talked to Lorelai and Christopher last month, and asked for their permission to marry their daughter. And then it was a waiting game. He wanted it to be something special, and he wanted to include her family. But he knew that Rory would hate a public proposal. He then remember Rory saying how much she loved her grandmother's garden, one of the times they were having dinner outside. After that, things had just fallen into place.

Since moving to New York, they were unable to attend most Friday Night dinners, but Rory tried to do keep doing that at least once a month. Last weekend, Tristan talked to Lorelai, and told her that they were going to have dinner with the Gilmore's next friday, and that she would not want to miss it. And Lorelai knew exactly what that meant. She even took upon herself to take Rory shopping for a new dress. The dress that Rory was wearing today.

Tristan knew that he had to stop kissing her to be able to get to Hartford in time for the dinner. And, according to his schedule, with enough time to spare before dinner to ask her to marry him.

"Come on." He said, taking a step back. "We are definitely going to be late if you keep kissing me like that!" He smirked.

"I thought you said we have enough time to do that..." Rory teased him, but took his hand and followed him to the car.

The drive from NY to Hartford was surprisingly good, for a Friday, and they were able to get there a little before 7 pm. Lorelai and Chris were already there, as well as Janlen and Tristan's parents. They had a couple of drinks, and made enough small talk to drive Tristan he had enough of his father's acid remark, he decided to take a walk and cool his head. After a couple of seconds, Rory excused herself and went after him.

She found him near her grandmother's gardenias.

"Hey. Are you all right?" She asked, coming behind him, and putting her arms around his waist in a tight hug, resting her face on his back.

He slowly turned around, still not letting go of her, and held her for a couple of seconds. He kissed her forehead, and her nose, and before he could lower his head to place a kiss on her lips, she raised herself on her tip-toes and closed the distance. It was a sweet kiss. The kind of kiss meant to comfort him. God, how he loved that woman.

"I'm more than all right. When I'm with you, I'm as close to perfect as I'll ever be." He told her. He had rehearsed what he was going to say to her a thousand times, but now that he had the perfect moment, the words just evaded him.

"I've never thought that I would be able to be that happy. You make me happy, Ror. Happier than I've ever dreamed. And the only thing that I want is to make you happy. As happy as I am right now." He told her, his voice a soft whisper.

"You make me happy Tristan. Everyday." She told him, with a smile that lit up her eyes, her whole face.

"Well, It's good to know. Because I want to be able to make you happy. Everyday. For as many everydays as you'll get." He told her, and bent down on one knee.

"Oh God." Rory said, her eyes starting to get misty. She couldn't believe that he was doing that. At her grandparents house, in her favorite spot, in the middle of her grandmother's flowers.

"Rory. Will you marry?"

They went back inside after almost ten minutes. Emily was ready to step outside and call them, but Lorelai stopped her. When she saw the look in her daughter's face when they stepped inside the room, she couldn't contain herself. She silently asked Rory if she accepted, and when Rory just nodded, Lorelai exclaimed "oh my God" and in the slipt of a second, mother and daughter were in the middle of the room, hugging each other, laughing and crying at the same time, making a scene.

"Lorelai, Rory, what in the Lord's name is going on? You two are making a scene." Emily sternly said. "Oh, for the love of... Christopher, stop grinning and help me put a stop into it."

"In a minute, Emily. In a minute." Chris said. He spotted the engagement ring on her daughter's finger, and knew that Tristan had finally done it. He took a couple of steps, and pulled Tristan into a hug, congratulating him.

"Welcome to the family, son" He whispered to Tristan, for his ears only.

"Can someone please tell me what is going on?" Emily said, trying to reinstall order in her living room.

"Tristan just asked me to marry him, Grandma." Rory said.

"Oh my God. You said yes, please tell me you said yes!" Emily asked her, sitting down.

"Of course she said yes, mom. I mean, look at them, do you think they would be that happy if she said no?" Lorelai smirked.

"Let me see the ring!" Emily demanded. Rory dutifully showed her hand. "Oh, Rory, it is a beautiful ring.

"So, did you two set a date yet?" Emily asked, the wheels in her head already turning.

"Mom. She JUST got engaged. Like, 5 minutes ago. Of course they didn't set a date..." Lorelai said. My oh my, this is going to be a long dinner... She should have told Tristan to wait until the desert was served to propose...

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**N/A: And that's all, folks. I hope you have enjoyed it!^^**


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